Dancing
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Dancing. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about race that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: ET 2026-07-22) a form of exercise or amusement in which one or more persons make a series of graceful movements in measured steps in accord with music. Aristotle ranked dancing with poetry and Pindar applies the name of "The Dancer" even to Apollo. Dancing corresponds to a universal primitive instinct in man, and is practiced by the South Sea Islanders, the Forest Indians of Brazil, the Zulus, the negroes of central Africa, and tly as it was the native Australians, exactly in the earlier stages of every civilized Ferocious war dances modern race. were practiced by savage warriors, as the North American Indian braves, who brought on a frantic mechanical intoxication capable of carrying them to victory. Th The Zulu war dance is a noble exercise for warriors, like the Pyrrhic dance of the ancient Spartans; and the dancing and spinning dervishes in the East, who work themselves into spasms of physical excitement, hent, are still highly esteemed for devoutness and piety. The idea of magic always enters into savage dancing. The art of dancing dates back to the early Egyptians, who ascribe that invention to their god Thoth. Among the ancient Jews, Miriam danced to a sound of trumpets, itself an act of worship, and David danced in procession before the Ark of God. Religious processions went with song and dance to the temples: the Cretan chorus moving in measured pace sang hymns to the Greek god Apollo, and one of the Muses (Terpsichore) was the especial patroness of the art. The Spartans practiced dancing as a gymnastic exercise and made it compulsory on all children from the age of five. The Romans in general considered it disgraceful for a free citizen to dance except in connection with religious rites, but willingly witnessed the performances The early of professional dancers. Christians practiced choral dances, which came into discredit with the love-feast or Agape. A survival of religious dancing is still seen even within the pale of Christendom, where during the Corpus Christi octave a ballet is danced every evening before the high altar of Seville Cathedral by boys from 12 to 17 years of age, in plumed hats and the dress of pages of Philip III.'s time. The Puritan ancestors saw deadly sin in promiscuous dancing. Many of the medieval dances were solemn and stately in character. Dancing reached its height during the reign of Louis XIV., who was himself an enthusiastic dancer in the court ballets. The minuet was a favorite in France for a century; and then came the quadrille or contre-danse, often connected erroneously with the English countrydance; the Écossaise was first introduced in 1760; the galop was introduced from Germany; the cotillion was fashionable under Charles X.; polka was first danced at the Odéon in 1840 by a dancingmaster from Pragu Prague ; the polka tremblante or schottisch, was of Bohemian origin and was first brought out in Paris in 1844; the lancers was introduced by Laborde in 1861; and the waltz, originally Bavarian, and now modified from its original form, promises to retain its supremacy. Though the French provide the world with fashions, people have preserved their own old national dances and these are still danced universally. In recent years, however, a notable change has taken place in this respect. Many of the old dances have fallen into disuse. Characteristic of particular races or merely of classes of people are such forms of the dance as the Scotch reel, Highland fling and strathspey, the Irish jig, the negro break-downs, sailors' hornpipe, step-dances, the can-can, morris dances, etc. A ballet is a theatrical exhibition composed of dancing, posturing, and pantomimic action. The Roman pantomimes bore a strong resemblance to the modern ballet d'action. In an entertainment given to celebrate the victory of Actium, the "Trachinie" of Sophocles, and an erotic interlude founded on the myth of Leda, were performed in dumb show, the dancers Pylades and Bathyllu llus taking the leading parts; and the whole wound up with a Pyrrhic war-dance. Some tradition of this form of entertainment, doubtless, suggested the courtly dances which became fashionable in the early days of the Renaissance. The first on record was that given by Bergongi Botta, at Tortona, to celebrate the marriage of the Duke of Milan in 1489. This was famous throughout the civilized world. From that time great events, such as royal marriages and births, were celebrated by grand productions of ballet on which enormous sums of money were lavished. These ballets were frequently historical in subject, treating of the Siege of Troy, the Conquests of Alexander, and similar events. There were also mythological, poetical, moral, and fantastic ballets, on such subjects as the Judgment of Paris, the Seasons, Truth, the Diversions of the Carnival, etc. All these were in five acts, each of which consisted of three, six, nine, or twelve entries, and in all of them singing and recitation mingled with the dancing. Catherine de Medici introduced the ballet into France, and encouraged dances by females that would now be deemed highly improper, to distract the attention of her son, Henry III., from state affairs. Henry IV. was a great supporter of the ballet, no fewer than 80 grand entertainments being given by him between 1589 and 1610. Louis XIII. and Louis XIV. carried their love of ballet to an extreme lengti, and themselves danced publicly. In 1661 the latter founded an Academy of the Dance, with Quinault as director, and Lully as composer. It was not until 1681 that female dancers appeared in public, the first being four ladies, who danced "La Triomphe de l'Amour." In the early part of the 18th century the names of professional dancers begin to appear, two of the most famous being Mlles. Salle and Camargo, immortalized by Voltaire. The great male dancer of this time was Dupré, the predecessor of the universally known Gaetano Vestris. In 1697 De la Motte introduced more changes into the ballet, chiefly in the direction of more interesting subjects, and about the same time comic ballets were invented by Danchet; but no important alterations were made till the advent of Jean George Noverre in 1749. The dancers wore masks, huge wigs and headdresses, and hoops. The mask finally disappeared in 1773. Hitherto the form of the ballet had remained practically unchanged, each act being performed by different dancers, and generally in different styles of dancing. Noverre invented the ballet d'action, and revived the art of pantomime. Dancing now had dramatic meaning, and the most intricate plots were represented by pantomime alone. The principles of Noverre were carried to great perfection by Vincenzo Galleotti in Copenhagen, and by his successor, Bournonville. Under the Directory a form of grand ballet was revived. in which patriotic songs were a distinctive feature. The history of the ballet since Noverre's time is a history of dancers rather than of dancing. In England, this class of entertainment was never more than an exotic, and has practically no history. The word balette is first used in English by Dryden (1667), and the earliest attempt at a descriptive ballet seems to have been "The Tavern Bilkers," played at Drury Lane in 1702. Within the last few years an important revival of the ballet has taken place in Italy, where the famous "Excelsior," by the Chevalier Luigi Manzotti, Messalina, Amor, etc., have furnished magnificent examples of the ballet d'action. Skirt-dancing, so-called on account of the voluminous skirts made of sheer or flimsy material, which are worn by the dancers and play so important a part in their dances, has become a science and a popular attraction on the stage. The dancers, by the clever manipulation of their draperies and assisted by light effects, assume such forms as flowers; the rose, calla lily, pansies, pinks; butterflies of different colors, and flags of various nationalities; all to the accompaniment of music. Among the most noted skirt dancers were Amelia Glover, Loie Fuller, the inventor of the serpentine dance, Papinta, and Anna Held. The beginning of the twentieth century saw a great revival in the popularity of dancing, both in spectacular and individual dances. Interpretive dancing also was developed by many foreign and American artists. Russian dances became especially popular in the United States and elsewhere. Among the most famous of the Russian dancers were Mme. Pavlowa and Michael Fokine. Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle introduced in the United States a variety of dances which became exceedingly popular, and for a time dancing became well-nigh an epidemic. Various dances, some of them derived from the barbaric dances of savage tribes, were found so objectionable that they were suppressed. The late development of the dance was the so-called jazz, which developed in a large variety of forms. Dancing became one of the courses in the public schools and children were instructed in folk and interpretive dances on a large scale.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
stepping to music in a gliding or lively fashion. It is believed that dancing of some sort is practiced by all peoples. Among the Mohammedans, the Hindus, the North American Indians, and many races, the dance is a religious exercise. Thus we hear of the war dance, the rain dance, the ghost dance, the medicine dance, the buffalo dance, and many others. The Greeks danced in honor of their gods and in their gymnastic exercises. King David danced before the Ark of the Covenant, but the Romans deemed it undignified for a man to dance. The English Cavaliers and the Virginians danced, but the Puritans of England and the New England colonists deemed dancing a sin. Many families and churches still frown on the practice--especially dancing in a promiscuous assembly of strangers. Of modern nations, those of southern Europe are the more famous for dancing. The fandango is a rustic Spanish dance; the minuet and quadrille are French; the galop, German; the polka, Hungarian; the waltz, Bavarian; the schottische, Bohemian; the reel, fling, and strathspey are Scottish; the breakdown is African; the jig, Irish; and the breakdown is African; the jig, Irish; and the ballet, a pantomime dance, is thought to be Roman. See Puritan